The use of folding canopies which utilize folding frame structures which are covered with a fabric cover on boats to shield the occupants from the effects of the sun, rain or water spray are well known in the art. The canopy frames are suitably affixed to the boat surface and are secured thereto by a combination of cylindrical members, fittings and straps.
Examples of the prior art can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 2,817,345 granted to R. S. Woodruff Sr. on Dec. 24, 1957 entitled "Boat Canopy Support"; U.S. Pat. No. 2,823,684 granted to O. F. Sartori Feb. 18, 1958, entitled "canopy For Boats"; U.S. Pat. No. 4,582,016 granted to Hansen on Apr. 16, 1986 entitled "Collapsible Frame Structure For Boat Roof"; U.S. Pat. No. 4,683,900 granted to Carmichael, Apr. 4, 1987 entitled "Boat Canopy.
Many types of canopies are available in the prior art for providing protection for the boat operator from the effects of the sun or inclement weather. The shelter afforded by these canopies is particularly important when the operator is using his boat for a prolonged period of time or when other shelters are not nearby.
A major problem with folding boat canopies of the prior art may be described as follows: When the canopy is folded or collapsed, there is no convenient manner or location in which the canopy can be stored. In some designs such as U.S. Pat. No. 5,016,558, granted to Oehler, on May 21, 1991, the collapsed roof canopy is allowed to lie on the normal boat rails which are located on the aft and starboard side of the boat.
In patent '558, the collapsed canopy and the support members occupy the major portion of the vessel and greatly restrict the space available for the boat operator and passengers.
U.S. Pat. No. 5.6,697,320 granted to Robert W. Murray in 1997 shows another personal watercraft folding canopy. Unlike the present invention, this patent describes a folding canopy which is stored at the stem of the watercraft. This invention is shown in FIG. 16. At the time of this application, the above referenced patent has not been printed for general use, but the notice of issue has been received by this office, and is application Ser. No. 08/618,633.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,361,717 granted to Kobayashi on Nov. 8, 1994 describes a folding canopy on a small watercraft, having a first poson which shields the passengers from the sun, and having a second position in which the canopy extends above the rear of the boat when collapsed and stored. U.S. Pat. No. 3,195,549 granted to M. T. Stevens on Jul. 20, 1965 illustrates a folding canopy arrangement wherein the canopies lay flat on the rear end of the boat hull. This arrangement often reduces the free space available on the vessel.
The prior art discloses many different types of collapsible canopies on boats. One of the major problems with these types of collapsing canopies, is that they interference with boat access and degrade vessel performance when the canopies are collapsed. This is especially true in small boats such as "Jet Ski" types of watercraft, more commonly referred to as a "Personal Watercraft". These high speed watercraft are found on lakes, oceans, and bodies of water where people play at boating. Because of the higher speed involved, the aforementioned defects become of major importance to the boat owner. The added air resistance of the canopy in both the upright and collapsed position contributes to air resistance and increases the drag of the boat when the boat is in operation. The increased drag coefficient reduces the speed of the vehicle and contributes to poor fuel economy.